


I'm drowning, why won't you save me?

by Auroraaa



Category: Hawkeye (Comics), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Young Avengers, and some non canon stuff
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Drug Use, F/M, Gen, Romance, Sexual Content, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-25
Updated: 2014-12-25
Packaged: 2018-03-03 14:10:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2853632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Auroraaa/pseuds/Auroraaa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kate owes Clint her life but it's time he gives it back...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was later that year, about winter time when I had found myself outside Clint's apartment freezing to death. Waiting for someone to answer the door. Lately, he had been in a bad place. New York had done something to him- it had changed him. He would wake up crying, screaming and thats why he needed me. 

"Come on Clint!" I shouted, a bunch of groceries in my hand whilst I rang again. Perhaps it was a bad idea to leave him alone lst night. Great. Well done Kate, I thought to myself as I viciously hammered my finger down on the buzzer but still there was no answer. Perhaps he went out or perhaps he drank too much. Suddenly I was thinking the worst. At that point, I had been prepared to defeat when the door had been opened by another resident.

"Oh hey Kate!" It was Clara. She lived right opposite Clint and I had met her quite a few times, she was nice. Modishly gorgeous to say the least, she made me feel bad about my own figure plenty of times. I was pretty sure that I had seen her face in a magazine or something. Clint enjoyed having her over mostly because she was great with lucky. I don't believe it for a second since she has a big pair of you know whats that I see him checking out from time to time. 

"Clara. Hey!" I exclaimed raising my gloved hand. She was dressed in a figure hugging black military coat and a beanie on her head of lustrous chocolate brown curls. I had to remind myself that I did not play that way. "Could you hold the door?" 

"Sure," She smiled an ear to ear grin and held it for me. "Send Clint my love," She blew a kiss my way and spoke in a soft voice. Then she went as I made my way towards the elevator and pressed number seven because it did not matter how hero I was. Never would there be a time where I would be prepared to walk seven flights of stairs. 

The ding was refreshing as it was the perkiest thing I had heard that day. Heaving the several grocery bags with me to Clints door, I fumbled through my north facejacket pocket and reached for my copy of keys to his apartment. Pushing the door open, I was welcomed with a series of convial retriever barks and a furry friend. "Hey dude," I put down the groceries and crouched down to welcome Lucky. "Where is that silly Clint of ours?" I tickled his fur and kissed his wet nose. It was protocol. The place was a tip as always and I had guessed it would be upto me to clean yet again. Just as I was abouy yo pick up the laundary basket, I had heard footsteps descend down the stairs , my heart skipped because it was Clint. " Kate?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Im a sucker for souls as lost as I am."
> 
> \-- Clint Barton

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys I shall totally try to make chapterslonger. Really do hope you enjoy reading as much as I do writing. 
> 
> I had a thought
> 
> Crystal reed as Kate but Malese Jow would be a really great face claim. Who do you guys think?

He was like a puppy that could do wrong despite doing plenty. I watched Clint Barton chow down on the meatballs and pasta that I had made him. Tapping my fingerson the edge of the table, I watched him with a slight helpless smile. Sue me for finding Clint Barton dropping sauce on his heisenberg t shirt absolutely adorable. Noisily he slurpped as always as was Lucky on the floor beside him. Progress was being made, I had stopped staying at the house because the nightmares had stopped but I fear for somethng much worse. If one problem sinks then surely another one rises. These days whilst being away from SHIELD, Clint had taken up the sport of heavy drinking -- he had been drinking how much I would have been drinking if I was a regular 21 year old. The whole archery business did tend to get in the way of such aspirations of mine. Unlike Clint, whose archery business was now non existent.

"Um so how are things?" My attempt at conversation was feeble.

"I'm not going to lie to you Kate," He paused slightly. "I'm pretty bummed about Giselle leaving the model house." Clint grinned that cheesy toothed smile that he had practically trademarked. "She was a favorite," There was a tang of relief as yet again I felt like he was going to drop a worry bomb on me.

"Rather her than Mia I say," I retorted in a goofish manner simillar to his. It was sort of like having the old Clint back but I would not count my sheep too quick. I looked around at the state of the aprtment and mentally groaned at how busy I would be that night. "Perhaps we could watch Fight club for the 100th time tonight?" I had suggested.

Clint tiltedhis head and looked at me with tired glossy blue eyes "But you hate fight club?"

I shrugged. It was slightly unnecessary and over complicated but I could somewhat live with it "Maybe it will be 100th time lucky."

*******   
After the movie had finished, Lucky had fallen asleep at our feet and like always Clint was in awe by the ending. He stared wide eyed at the screen as I burried myself deeper into the blankets and cushions piled ontop of him; glad it was all over. "That was just awesome!"

"No kidding," I replied not as enthusiastically. It was an automatic reaction, my life was its own action movie. Did not really need to watch one on screen. 

Clint turned to look at me with his big blue eyes, they were unusually alert meaning he had something important to say. It was funny how predictable he had become. "Bobbie came over the over day. Well yesterday,"

I raised my brow "Bobbie? Bobbie Morse? Shield agent Bobbie?"

Clint snorted "Yeah obviously," He stood up and went to go get something. When he returned not that long after, I had realized that it was an envelope. "She gave me this and basically they want me back Kate!" Everything about him litup "I am going to be Hawkeyes again." Oh how he had missed out.

My reaction had been delayed only because it took me some time to register. They really thought he was ready? I kept these thoughts to myself sinceit would be a shame to ruin the moment. It did not come often nowadays. "I'm happy for you Clint," I replied mustering up the only smile that I could find. Honestly I had thought it was all a terrible idea.


	3. Chapter 3

I felt like he was rushing into things. Clint who couldn’t even look at his own reflection properly- an avenger again? Why had I been the only one who saw holes in the plan. His face was brighter than a kid in a candy store, evidently he was all for the idea. Perhaps I was the irrational one. Shaking the thoughts out of my head. I playfully punched his arm. “Finally. You’re getting too pudgy for my liking.” He chuckled taking the hit as if it was fatal.  
“My body is a temple Bishop.”  
“A temple of pudginess perhaps,” That’s how our relationship had always worked. There was nothing deep and intense about it, we were our own shaggy and Scooby but these days I started to believe that was the problem. The only reason that Clint had been the only thing on my mind. The other day I had turned down poker night with America so I could help Clint clean or do the cleaning for him to be exact. He was turning me into someone that I didn’t love because every time I was around him, my heart ached for his goofy ass.

Lucky had found herself in a climactic chase with her own tail whilst Clint muttered to himself in his sleep, as he always did. It was cute if you were to get past all the drooling. Expletives heavily, escaped my lips as I washed the week old dishes and decided that Clint needed to invest in a dish washer even though he acted like he did not know the meaning of ‘clean’ I guess I did all these things for him because I owed him one. When the whole world shut Kate Bishop out, Clint Barton took her in. My parents could never understand why I did what I did but Clint did. He helped me on my feet, he helped me find my own team- a team that I know called family.   
Finishing my last dish, I waited for the water to drain itself from the sink; with one exasperated hand on my hip and the other pushing the stray strands of hair out of my eyes. Who knew that I’d be adding domestic Goddess to my list of abilities. I glanced at the novelty tabby cat clock on the wall and boy had time flew so fast. I could have easily gone home and spent a night alone in my apartment but I guess Lucky would miss me too much. 

I dressed in one of my over grown dad jumpers that I had left lying around and jumped onto the couch. Lucky’s golden fur residing at my feet, whimpering as she tried to get comfortable. Just as I was in the midst of burying myself deep into the washed out blue duvet, there was a ring at the door. It was infuriatingly persistent and rather hard to ignore. Blowing tuffs of my messy bangs from my eyes, I stood up to get it but it seemed peculiar for Clint to have guests so late at night. Lately he wasn’t the most of social of creatures. “I’m coming, I’m coming for christs sake.” Other over eighteen expletives followed. I closed one eye and tiptoed, squinting as I peered into the peep hole before I opened it. A slight gasp escaped her lips as the figurement that stood was ghostly. After all those years, he had returned. For a brief moment, I found myself recollecting emotions all at once- memories building up like a confining wall. Another set of rings had interrupted my though pattern as well as Lucky’s apprehensive barking and it occurred to me that if I waited any longer Clint would wake. Perhaps I would have enough time to get rid of the ‘guest’ 

I took a sharp breath and swung open the door. “Kate?” The voice said but before I even said a word, subconsciously I lifted my hand and swung it against his face. The last time I had seen Charles Bernard Barton was four years ago. Round about when I had first met Clint and my training had started. At this time, it was me who was in the wretched state. I had just had an ugly and terminal row with my parents. Barney had been brainwashed by HYDRA and even though it was Romanoff’s mission to take him down, Clint had made it his mission to save him but it tragically backfired. “Nice to see you too.”

“What the actual hell?” I exclaimed. Once he had returned back to his normal self, he was far from appreciative and several times tried to kill Clint before he ran away. For years, Clint had plagued himself with guilt but I guess I couldn’t really understand what had driven their brotherly devotion. Perhaps family was something I never had.  
Barney stood tall at least six foot, ridiculously built just as I remembered. He had a chaotic head of dark blonde hair, similar to Clint’. Eyes, an intense shade of pastel blue like the twilight of the night sky. He wore rugged stubble on both of his face, they complimented his sea deep dimples when he chuckled off my slap. “Where’s Clint?” He looked over my shoulder as he replied bluntly.

“Four years!” I was tempted to scram but I knew Clint would wake. I placed my hand on his abdomen and pushed him outside, following him out so Clint wouldn’t hear me. “You ruined him Barney.”

Digging his hands further into his pocket, he said nothing apart from letting out a exhausted sigh and pulled out a malboro packet and a lighter. He offered me one with a raise of an eye brow but I gave an exasperated scowl. “I need to see him Kate.”

I folded my arms across my chest and tilted my head. “Where were you when New York happened Barney?” I ignored his what seemed to be a genuine plea. Before he could say anything else, I continued. “All those sleepless nights. The nightmares. He needed someone Barney.”

He took a long drag from his cigarette and looked up at the stars. I began to notice how much he had aged but still he had the disillusioned Barton good looks that made women everywhere incredulous. Shaking my head of the thoughts, I waited for him to speak. “He’s a grown man Kate.”

I scoffed. “He’s your brother Barney. He would do the exact same for you.” I stepped forward, suffocating in his tobacco smoke cloud. I extended my finger and poked his chest. “Or have you forgotten?”


End file.
